This book would be one of my favorites if I didn't feel such melancholy after reading it... It's full of pictures, facts and trivia I haven't seen in other books, and it was contemporary as of 15 years ago but the very fact that it contains so much information about people and animations that I personally know, makes me maudlin...

In the late 1980s, Rob Minkoff and Glen Keane called me regularly about consulting on the setting up of a computer animation studio for Disney. I even sent them a proposal at one point that included costing and expectations... It just petered out after a year or so... At least with me.

David Daniels and I had a strained relationship. He's the one who pushed A:M out of Vinton Studios.

Will Vinton was always nice to me - still is. He's cordial and entertaining; aloof as only a successful studio owner can be but never rude. I could call Will tomorrow and he'd talk about doing something together.

My friend, Robert Taylor, is also mentioned in the book, and there's a lot of pictures and discussion of the films he directed while with Ralph Bakshi.

Yet another fine book that I don't have on my bookshelf.

I know these guys/gals are pretty down to earth people but they are almost as imaginary as the characters they've created to me.

Your look back at the 80s reminds me of just how close you've been to the animation scene through the years.
Given your proximity to the history of animation it makes me wonder what (if anything) you'd do differently if you could rewind and live it again.

In 2000, we changed from a company that wrote software (that we also sold) to create our own animation to a company that sold software so that other people could create animation. This turn of events was because we had never made any money with our own animations, and the young guys in the company were getting older and needed/wanted to make more money - so we "lost" 5 years. In 2005, I decided if I had to choose between not making money creating animations or not making money writing software, I'd choose to work for free creating animations; but we're back - "Scarecrow of Oz" is our 3rd feature length movie!

So would you say you are totally away from creating/advancing software or do you still create/advance software but to produce your own better movies?

*Fuchur*

It would be nice to have the best of both worlds! But not always realistic.

Success in one would lead to success in the other. Right now we're focusing on moviemaking with an eye towards continuing development of A:M.

That's nice to hear and sounds like a promising formular.
Thanks martin.

*Fuchur*

older talents, passed on by....but more creative, and talented folk stay bringing many talented artist, busy creating producing moviemaking so all goes forth in a big circle of time circle of time Katt my computer chashed, i'm thinken hard drive im using my old 98 as back up.